Marionette



Sept. 22, 1953 J. S. BARKEY MARIONETTE Filed June 30, 1950 /NVEN TOR Patented Sept. 22,,1953

UNITED STATES rem OFFICE 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to toys and more particularly to a marionette and has for its principal object to provide a marionette whose component parts are of light weight material, simple, durable and capable of simulating life-like movements.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simplified control frame on which the operations of said marionette depend. and which will produce the similitude of natural movements referred to above.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the details of these improvements and other objects of the invention and additional features of novelty will be apparent from the following description.

Fig. 1 is a view of the marionette construction in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the marionette shown in Fig. l with its parts in a different relative position. Fig. 3 shows the improved control frame for manipulating the strings to which the marionette is attached and whose connections are indicated by the front View control shown on top of Fig. 1.

An upper trunk member I of the marionette shown in Fig. 1 is made of one piece fibre, or other'flat or sheet material, which is cut into shape then folded or bent to make the shoulders 2 and its ends joined at 3, by round head paper fasteners or other suitable securing means, and forming the lower part of the trunk. A lower trunk member or pelvic section 4 is also made of one piece fibre or other flat or sheet material, cut into shape and then folded or bent and its ends joined at 5, forming its bottom or lower part at that place. A round head paper fastener is used at 5, or other suitable securing means can be used.

A cross piece 6, preferably of wood, runs inside the top part of the upper trunk and acts as an anchorage for the screw eye 1. This screw eye is interengaged with the staple 8 which is embedded in the material of neck 9 and holds head I is place. A piece of flexible cord or rope ll runs along the length of the cross piece 8 and is supported by it and both 6 and H are firmly held in place by the screw eye I. This cord or rope has its ends extending from opposite sides of the trunk I and form the upper arm portions. At the ends of this cord or rope the lower arm members or one-piece arms and hands M are attached by a flexible cloth strip l5, which cloth strip is tied, tacked, or secured by other suitable means, to the lower arm at 16 and ti d stitched or secured by other suitable means to the end of the cord or rope at H.

Similarly a flexible cord or rope l8 runs through the lower inside part of the lower trunk member or pelvic section 4. This rope or cord has its ends extending from opposite sides of this lower trunk member and form the thighs or upper portions of the legs. This cord or rope is secured to the lower trunk member 4 by a round head paper fastener or by other suitable means at E9. To these extending cord or rope ends, lower leg members 20 and pivotable feet 2| are attached by a cloth strip 22, which cloth strip is tacked or stapled at 23 to the wood piece which forms the lower part of the leg 20, and tied or secured by other suitable means to the end of the cord or rope at 24.

The lower part of the leg 29 is connected to the foot 2| by a screw eye 25 which is interengaged with the staple 26 embedded in the material of the foot. This permits similitude of natural movements to the foot.

The upper trunk member I and lower trunk member 4 are connected by a cord, ring or strip 2! running lengthwise inside of the lower part of the' trunk l and inside of the upper part of the trunk 4, permitting similitude of natural movements to both members.

In Figure 3 isshown a simplified control frame I, means including a member I of fibre, or other rigid material, and is light in weight, durable and of a shape providing a handle portion. 2 is a cross bar also made of fibre, or other rigid material. This cross bar together with the frame I' manipulate strings 3", 4", 5", 6", l", 8" and 9" attached respectively through holes 3', 4, 5, 6, 1', 8, and 9' and whose other ends are attached to various parts of the marionette .as shown in the front view control frame over Fig. 1. I0 is a front clip piece of fibre, or other rigid material, permanently attached to the forward portion of the control frame I by round head paper fasteners, or other suitable securing means, at I I and [2. The middle part of this front piece It) is arched downward all along its length to provide a clip portion l3 thus creating a continuous pressure against the surface of the frame I. The pressure thus created holds the cross bar 2' firmly in place. This attached piece I0 has its edge I4 slightly curved upward, which allows the easy removal and easy insertion of the cross bar. A small section of the control frame I extends in front of the attached piece It at 5 and further facilitates the guiding of the cross bar through the upturned edge 14' and under the pressure zone all along 13.

Having described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters of Patent is:

1. A marionette toy construction comprising an upper trunk member formed of stiff sheet material bent near the middle thereof to provide a transverse shoulder portion at the bend thereof and an empty hollow chest, the ends of the stiff sheet material being joined together below the shoulder portion, a lower trunk member smaller than the upper trunk member and formed of similar material similarly bent and joined at its ends, means for flexibly connecting the lower trunk member to the lower end of the upper trunk member, an elongated flexible member connected to and extending transversely of the shoulder portion and having its ends extending outwardly from the respective opposite sides thereof to provide upper arm portions, lower arm members respectively flexibly connected to the respective arm portions, a second elongated flexible member connected to and extending transversely of the lower end of the lower trunk member and having its ends extending outwardly from the respective opposite sides thereof to provide upper leg portions, combined lower leg and foot assemblies respectively connected to the respective lower leg portions, a head flexibly connected to the shoulder portion of the upper trunk member, and control handle frame means having strings depending therefrom and respectively connected to the head, lower arm and leg portions.

2. A marionette toy construction comprising an upper trunk member formed of sheet material bent flatwise near the middle thereof to provide at the bend a transverse shoulder portion and an empty hollow chest space, the ends of the stiff sheet material being joined together below the shoulder portion, a lower trunk member smaller than the upper trunk member formed of similar material bent in a similar manner and having its ends joined together, a closed strip of flexible material running lengthwise inside the lower part of the upper trunk member and inside the upper part of the lower trunk member whereby to flexibly join the upper and lower trunk members together, a shoulder cross piece conforming to the underside of the shoulder portion, a screw eye extending through the shoulder portion and connected with the shoulder cross piece to hold the cross piece within the shoulder portion, a head loosely connected to the screw eye above the shoulder portion, a flexible rope member running coextensively with the cross piece and fixed to the underside thereof, said flexible rope member having its ends extending respectively outwardly from the respective opposite sides of the upper trunk member to provide flexible arm portions, lower arm members respectively flexibly connected to the respective upper arm portions, a second flexible rope member connected to and extending transversely through the lower part of the lower trunk member, said second rope member having its end extending outwardly from therespective opposite sides of the lower trunk member to provide flexible upper leg portions, lower leg members respectively flexibly connected to the upper leg portions, foot members respectively loosely pivotally connected to the respective lower leg members, a control frame member shaped to provide a wide forward portion and a rear handle portion, strings connected between the portions of the control frame member and the respective head and upper trunk member, a front clip piece secured to the top of the wide forward portion and having a downwardly arched portion applying pressure toward the top surface and a cross bar member removably disposed under the arched clip portion and having strings extending therefrom and respectively connected to the respective arm members and leg portions.

JOSEPH S. BARKEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,515,070 Rosenberg Nov. 11, 1924 1,785,753 Weisner "a Dec. 23, 1930 1,902,983 Ader et a1. Mar. 28, 1933 2,031,208 Burgard Feb. 18, 1936 2,113,839 Hedges Apr. 15, 1941 2,238,455 Steinhilber Apr. 15, 1941 2,264,583 Porter Dec. 2, 1941 2,334,486 Froehlig Nov. 16, 1943 

